


The Book

by MadelineL



Category: Voltron: Defender of the Universe because 'Lion Force' is literally nothing in existence
Genre: Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, Fluff, Kissing, Literary References & Allusions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-13
Updated: 2019-01-01
Packaged: 2019-08-23 04:34:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 11,538
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16612043
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MadelineL/pseuds/MadelineL
Summary: Allura just wanted to read at night in peace, but a prince decided to drop by her bedroom unannounced...





	1. Chapter 1

It was late, far too late. Allura was sure Nanny would chastise her if she knew, but the princess didn’t care. Her pilots had given her a stack of books, extremely rare Terran books, and they included so many stories she had never heard before.

Nanny would know if she had her lights on for any reason not deemed ‘appropriate,’ so the princess had snuck candles to her room and was using them to read by. Many of the books were very old, some published hundreds of years previous, so using candles of all things to read them made it terribly romantic.

And terribly romantic were some of the stories inside! Most were novels, of dashing heroes and fainting damsels. Allura found a few silly, but others stuck out to her. One that was not romance was of a time when science and technology was still so new, and they used electricity-and only electricity- to reanimate a dead man! She had read it all, voracious to find out what happened next.

Picking up one of the thicker books, Allura heard a noise. Her heart felt like it stopped; the noise was in her room. She suddenly regretted only reading by candlelight. She glanced up, and saw nothing. She started to think she had imagined it… then she heard a scuffing noise on the other side of the room… near the window.

Allura picked up the candelabra and held it towards the sound. Light glinted off a pair of golden eyes and her heart sank. She continued to stare as she shakily set the candles back on the table without looking. When she grabbed the edge of her blanket so she could fling it off to run, she heard rushing towards her from the dark. She threw the book at where she thought the intruder might be, but heard it slam into the floor. When she went to scream, the wind was knocked out of her as she was pinned to her bed.

“Beast!” she managed to hiss.

Prince Lotor laughed, his breath tickling her nose. Something seemed off to her.

“Greetings, Allura! I decided to pop in and say hello. Why, what are you doing here in your magnificent technological lion castle, using candles of all things? Is your power cut off? Shall I assist you to restore it to your castle?”

Allura was unnerved by his jovial attitude and how talkative he was, especially when his hands had hers pinned to either side of her face. One of his knees was holding her legs sideways, trapping her under the blanket.

“Get off me, Lotor! If you don’t leave this instant I will scream.”

“Now that would be a shame, my sweet, I came all this way to see you,” he said as he started nuzzling into her hair.

The princess realized what was off, even for him. He was drunk! With the speed and amount of his speaking, quite possibly very drunk. She was incredibly alarmed.

“Lotor, will you please get off of me.” Allura decided to use a very diplomatic approach to a situation that somehow seemed more dangerous than usual. She had no idea what the prince was like intoxicated.

He hummed into her hair in response. She tried to remain as calm as possible while he ignored her request for a solid minute.

“Prince Lotor, plea-” she started, but he interrupted her.

“What were you even doing, Allura?” The softness in his voice at the question startled her.

“I… I was reading.” She couldn’t help but be a little snarky. “You do know what reading is...”

The way he laughed next to her ear was unexpected; it was a genuine one, nothing like she had ever heard from him before. Not a hint of malice or villainy.

“Yes, my sweet, I do know what reading is.” He paused and pulled his face from her hair to look at her. “I don’t read human books, is this a leisurely actively that is done when one should be asleep?”

The fact that the drules might not read for pleasure was not something she had ever considered. Meeting his eyes, she blinked at his confusion. Or was that sarcasm?

“Yes, it is. Perhaps…,” she paused and reconsidered diplomacy with the prince once again. “Perhaps, Lotor, I could read some of a book to you. Maybe you will like it…?”

The prince’s eyes widened, realization that she had offered to spend time with him, speaking to him in a manner that wasn’t screaming and running away. After a moment of watching her for any suspicions, and seeing none, he narrowed his eyes and grinned.

“I _would_ like that, Princess Allura.”

She wasn’t sure if she had made the right choice.

“Perhaps I could do that now. You’ll need to get up, then.” she forced a smile, hoping this would give her the freedom to move. Allura then realized she would have to make a choice; continue in this vein, or run for it. If she ran, she might damage his willingness to trust her words moving forward. It wouldn’t be the first time she had used the tactic, it might be bad if she continued to be deceitful towards him...

He hummed and continued to watch her, clearly considering his options. His eyes flashed.

“I could… or I could just kiss you, my sweet,” he said and moved a little closer. The smell of the wine on his breath was very obvious to her now.

She frowned dangerously at him, and it actually caused his grin to fade.

“If you do _**that**_ ,” she spat out, “then there will be no reading and I will be sure to kick and scream until you are either taken to my dungeon in chains or run off my planet by Keith and Black Lion.” His expression had darkened as she had continued to speak.

“Well, we don’t want that, now do we?” he said to her with some bitterness.

“No, we don’t want that, so unhand me.” Allura realized she was being a bit forceful, but felt it would work with him at the moment. When he complied, she instantly was sitting up, backing away from him a bit.

Lotor stood and disappeared away from the candle’s light, moving in the direction of the book she had flung at him earlier. He returned, materializing out of the darkness, and handed it to her.

“You can.. see in the dark?”

“Yes, drules have excellent eyesight. You never wondered why we don’t care that we have such darkened hallways and ships?”

She shook her head, and he sat back down. He turned, and was fiddling with his boots. She was confused until she realized he was _taking them off_. After a moment he turned back, lifted his legs, and readjusted himself to be sitting cross legged and facing her… _**on her bed**_ **.**

Allura stared at him. This was too normal for him, too… human. She was mildly concerned that this would become too comfortable and it would cause something bad to happen. She tried to ignore the feeling.

“What sort of story did you want to hear about? I have many genres….”

“What about the one you threw at me?”

Allura looked back at it. Lance had told her it was a much praised social commentary; the struggles of an olden terran society where women were unable to live how they wished, of judging someone harshly before knowing anything about them or their motivations, and of learning to allow oneself to freely fall in love. Reading this book to Lotor felt incredibly awkward. She hadn’t even read it herself!

Making a cautious glance over the top of the book at the prince sitting on her bed, she made eye contact with him and blushed furiously. He grinned

“I want that one. Let’s read that one, Allura.” His eyes were glinting, and she couldn’t be sure if it was amusement or the low lighting.

She swallowed and leaned back into her pillows against her headboard. “I suppose….”

Opening the book and setting it in her lap, she read the first sentence to herself. She felt her stomach drop.

“Lotor, I think we should read something else. There’s another one about sailing on oceans and pirates-” she started to say but he interrupted her.

“What’s wrong with this one? Weren’t you about to read it, anyway?”

“I just… don’t think you would enjoy it, is all.” She tried to appear as non sheepish as possible. This was clearly going to have intense romance and to read that _with him_ was mortifying.

“Why?”

Allura cautioned a glance up at him. He seemed a little irritated, but curious. Without warning, he reached out and plucked the book out of her hands. Turning it to himself, he skimmed the first page. He looked like he was concentrating on something difficult before he turned the book back around and held it out in front of her.

“Let’s read this one, Allura.” He smirked at her, and she became aware of the fact he was going to be incredibly difficult in all of this, and she might as well give in to her fate.

“All right,” she said, and looking down at the page, she took a deep breath before she began.

“ _It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife….”_


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lotor sobers up in more than one way.

“Are all human women so enamored with military men?” Lotor asked, and Allura couldn’t help but laugh a little bit.

“I supposed they are, but these are also the men fighting valiantly for their protection. They wouldn’t be so enamored with an enemy,” she said, trailing off into a whisper. She couldn’t bring herself to meet his gaze, and could feel him watching.

When he didn’t reply, she began reading aloud once more, but he interrupted her.

“If this irritated rich man finds her pretty, why doesn’t he do something about it?”

Allura looked up at him, he seemed genuinely confused.

“I don’t think he realizes how he feels for her, Lotor. Finding her pretty doesn’t matter, that isn’t… how their society works… and her family is… embarrassing in their behaviors.” She watched him, vaguely wondering what Lotor’s upbringing had been like.

The prince leaned back on his wrists and gave her a slight grin.

“I liked you the moment I saw you, Allura. He’s weak if he can’t make his mind up,” Lotor said keeping his eyes on her.

Allura couldn’t take the ardent, passionate look, and she broke eye contact with him almost immediately. Her gaze was at the book in her lap, she was terrified to acknowledge what he said. He always had to make everything so… intense.

When the princess didn’t respond, she heard him open his mouth to speak, but she lifted her hand and stopped him before he could say anything. “If you continue to interrupt, we’re never going to get anywhere.”

His mouth snapped closed, and she glanced up. Lotor was visibly pouting and looking away, out into her darkened room. The annoyance and awkwardness she felt melted away, and she had to bite her lips to keep from laughing at his expression. It was one she had never seen on his face. When he realized she was watching him, he looked back. Allura had been staring, and flushed at the realization that she was starting to think he had been _cute pouting._

“’ _I hope, my dear,’ said Mr. Bennet to his wife, as they were at breakfast the next morning, ‘that you have ordered a good dinner to-day, because I have reason to expect an addition to our family party.’”_

 

–

 

At some point, Lotor had turned himself sideways to her, and was laying back on her bed, his hands folded across his chest and one of his legs bent with the other propped up and resting by the ankle against his knee. She tried not to voice her amusement at the thought of a whole industry on Doom devoted to the making of socks, as she avoided looking at his very relaxed posture.

“Can’t they just tell him to leave?”

“What?”

“That cousin of theirs, just tell him to get lost,” he said, and smirked.

“It’s already been explained, Lotor, he inherits everything, they need to be nice to him.”

“If he has an unfortunate accident while visiting, who would inherit then? They could probably change the law at that point.”

Allura gasped at his statement, and he turned his head to look at her.

“I suppose that isn’t allowed in their culture.”

“No, Lotor, it is not. Murder is a crime on many planets.” She frowned at him, and he returned the look, but said nothing.

Allura went to turn the page, and was hit by an incredibly deep yawn. She covered her mouth and stretched her arm out.

“You’re tired.”

She took a long blink and then looked at him. His expression was neutral, and she had no idea what to say in response. It was obvious she would want to sleep now, and the book wasn’t even halfway done. When his eyebrows furrowed, she prepared herself for what he might say.

“Will you let me back in tomorrow to hear more?” he asked so softly she almost didn’t hear him.

“You wish to continue?” She was stating the obvious at that point, but the princess was positively perplexed.

“I would like that. May I?”

Allura almost asked him to repeat himself, still disbelieving he was asking instead of demanding, but a more pressing thought floated to the surface.

“I might be tired from waiting for a robeast attack, Lotor.”

The prince closed his eyes and grinned.

“I won’t be leading any attacks while this continues, Allura. In fact,” he said, his eyes fluttering open as he sat back up and leaned over onto one elbow, far closer to her than she liked, “there won’t be any attacks for a long while.”

The thought of no more battles to fight made her instantly excited, but it was laced with concern over _why_.

“Lotor, what are you up to?”

He cocked his head to the side and smiled.

“I’m merely spending time with you, my sweet. If I happen to tell my father I _am_ up to something, and disappear for hours and hours, then he will leave everything alone.”

“And when this ends, Lotor? When the book is complete? This cannot continue forever.” Dread was filling her, and the awkward but surprisingly good mood of the past few hours was shaken.

Smiling up at her from his lounged position, he caught one of her hands and kissed her knuckles.

“We will deal with that situation when it comes to pass, Allura. For now, enjoy your rest.”

Before her wits caught up to her, he was on his feet, stomping on his boots, and disappeared into the darkness. She heard the window open and close, and then silence. Slowly, she lifted herself from her bed and with the candelabra, investigated to see if he had really left. He had.

Allura had no idea what to make of any of this. When she fell asleep a bit later, her confusion was still very strong.

 

–

 

It was getting late. Midnight had come and gone, and the thought that Lotor would be showing up at her window kept Allura from becoming sleepy enough to actually sleep. But now she was beginning to wonder if he wouldn’t appear. It didn’t seem likely, as she had all but given him permission, yet he was nowhere to be seen.

Eyeing the book she had been reading aloud the night before, the princess considered continuing to read without him. She was curious about the plot, but started to feel a little rude about reading more with him not there. That feeling agitated her.

Allura sighed and picked up another book. She was several pages in when she was startled by a light tapping on her window. She almost laughed out loud. How many times had he barged into her life, even into her bedroom, and _now_ he was actually asking permission?

Marking her place, she set the book down, and as she stood, pulled her dressing gown tighter around her form. The moon was brighter today. She had a bit of visibility, and could see Lotor leaning against the outside wall next to the window, somehow standing as if on a ledge that didn’t exist. She briefly wondered if he would explain how he was getting up to her window without his ship if she asked.

Unlatching and pushing the window open, she could somewhat see him grinning at her in the dark. Trepidation and guilt flooded her veins; there was no doubt now, she was purposefully letting him into her sanctuary.

Allura stepped back as the prince nimbly and silently made his way inside. He barely made a sound as his boots hit the floor, and without waiting for her, he pulled the window shut behind himself. The guilty feeling in her breast increased.

“Hello, my sweet, I hope I’m not keeping you awake?” The way he said that was so genuine, she wasn’t sure how to feel hearing it.

“Hel-I-no, I was reading something else.” She fidgeted with the tie on her clothes. “I can’t stay up all night, though….” Briefly, Allura considered apologizing for him having come so far for so short a time. She was unnerved that she had to remind herself that he was her enemy.

She watched him walk towards her bed, the soft light of the candelabra on her bedside table throwing him into silhouette. He stopped and turned to look back at her, and she was reminded again of how she had found the candlelight so romantic before he had shown up the night prior.

Taking in a deep breath, and watching him watch her, she managed to find her voice again.

“Have you been drinking tonight?”

He laughed. “No. Well, only one cup, and that was before I even left. There’s a bottle in my ship if you want me to go and get it...? I wouldn’t mind sharing with you.”

Allura shook her head vigorously, which made him laugh again.

“Perhaps another time, then, my sweet.”

Turning away from her again, he sat on her bed. When she didn’t follow him, he looked at her.

_On her bed._

The guilt was starting to overwhelm her. If anyone knew what she was doing, what she was _allowing him to do_ , they would never trust her again. She had tried to convince herself all day that brokering trust with him would bring about good changes, would somehow end the war and bring peace back to her planet, but she felt overwhelmed. He was volatile and answered to someone else. She had no idea how far she could trust him.

He started to say her name, but a banging on her door startled both of them. She looked at the door and then back to him. He barely looked concerned, and didn’t move.

Allura ran at him, surprising the prince by shoving him down onto the far side of the bed. She grabbed the edge of her blanket, and threw it over him. The banging on the door became more urgent. She turned to run to the door, and was halfway there when she turned to look at her bed. She skidded to a halt when she realized she could still see his boots. Running back, she threw a pillow over them.

“Don’t move!” she whispered harshly, and ran back to the door. Turning around, she watched to see if he obliged. He did.

She flicked on the main lights, and opened the door. She faked a yawn, asking what was wrong.

The guard on the other side sighed in relief.

“Your Highness, Prince Lotor’s ship has been spotted half hidden at the edge of the forest. We wanted to make sure you were okay and he hasn’t breached the castle. We’ll be posting guards outside your door, by his ship, and along the entire external perimeter.”

Allura tried to school her reactions and stay calm.

“But no robeast? No, leave his ship alone. If you startle him, it might start something. Continue as normal,” she said with as much authority as she could muster.

“But Your Highness, Coran said-”

“ _ **I said**_ , continue as normal. If Lotor shows up to my room, I will be sure to give him a piece of my mind at the end of my pistol.”

“Your Highness, are you sure?” The man was very worried.

Allura sighed and waved her hand around in agitation.

“Yes, I am sure. You may place some guards in the hallway, and I will scream if there is an issue. I don’t want to alarm the entire castle unless he’s posing an actual threat. We all know Lotor stalks around sometimes. Let’s take advantage of the calm to all rest.” She smiled, hoping to ease the man’s fears. _She_ knew Lotor wasn’t going to do anything, but there was no way to relay that information.

The guard nodded and Allura shut the door. She sighed, and turned off the main lights, plunging the room back into only the soft light from the candles.

The princess moved back to her bed, and kneeling, looked down at the rumpled blankets. Lotor hadn’t moved. Slowly, she picked up the edge and pulled the bedclothes back to their original position. Moving it revealed the drule prince flat on his back, one hand across his chest, grinning up at her. That look made the guilt in her swell.

“You could have told them I was here.” He was stating a fact, but she knew what was behind his words; she had mislead her own people to hide him.

“Yes, I could have, but then how would we finish the story?” she said with a little faked mirth in her voice, trying to make the situation less serious.

Lotor was still smirking, and he didn’t sit up. Instead, he rolled to his side and closed his eyes.

“Your bed smells nice.”

“That’s… uh… thank you? Did you want to continue the book…?” she could feel her cheeks redden, and was wondering why he decided to be so awkward.

“Hmmm, yes,” he said and sat up. The action put him right next to her, almost touching. With her sitting on her heels, their eyes were on the same level. Allura was once again reminded how dangerous it was with him in her bedroom.

He grinned as he moved closer to her. She tried to lean back away from him, and was caught off-guard when he put his hands on her waist. Gasping for air in shock at the sudden touch, Allura felt her arms instinctively move to hold onto his his to keep herself steady as he lifted her from the bed.

Depositing her up by the headboard, Lotor let go and moved farther away from her. She realized he had recreated their positions from the night before, so she would be next to her table with the books.

“Allura? Are we reading tonight?” She glanced up at him. He had a pleased and expectant look on his face.

“Y-yes,” she said, picking up the book with shaky hands, and found the last chapter they had stopped at.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Allura and Lotor participate in an age old Terran tradition for princes and princesses.

“What is dancing?”

The question caught Allura by surprise.

“You don’t have dancing on Doom?”

“No. It’s banned everywhere in the domain. I don’t understand what is being described.”

The princess sat up straight and tried to gather her thoughts to explain it. _No dancing!_ In their worst days, Allura still knew what dancing in a ballroom was, even if she hadn’t done much of it due to cowering in fear of the drules occupying her planet.

“It’s… I’ve heard it described as much like a one-on-one fight. The dances in this book are ones where everyone knows the same steps, so they move in unison. I’ve not had the chance to do much of them because of…,” she trailed off and gripped her dressing gown in her lap. There was just never any way to avoid talking about everything his father and he himself had done to her people… to her life.

Lotor’s hand softly touching her wrist startled her, and she looked up.

“Perhaps, you can show me...?” he asked with a hopeful expression she had never seen on his face.

Allura looked down again and watched as he ever so slightly moved one of his fingers across the bare skin of her wrist. She wondered when he had removed his gloves.

_He’s testing me_ _for boundaries_ _…._

The thought spurred her to look back up to meet his gaze. He smirked, confirming her thoughts. The princess looked away, everything about him just too intense. On her nightstand and next to the pile of unread books she spied her data pad. Leaning over to pick it up, she pulled her hand from his and picked up the tablet. Straightening and purposefully ignoring him, she started looking through her database on Terran culture. Finding a video clip showing from around the time period she was sure the book was written, she put it down on the bed and played it so they could both see.

An elegant couple, the woman in a long, multilayered gown that billowed around her, and a man in a black and white fancy suit, were spinning around in a large room. His hand was at the small of her back, she held her gown so she wouldn’t trip on it, and their other hands were clasped together.

The prince and princess both watched the video, transfixed and trying to memorize the steps. They argued over what movements were happening, how fast it was, and how the figures were doing that graceful up and down motion to their whole bodies as they spun. Lotor stood and showed her what he thought they were doing, and she giggled as he nearly tripped on his own feet in the attempt.

 

–

 

“Give me your hand,” he said, holding his palm out. She swallowed and acquiesced, sliding her fingers into his and standing.

“You’re not going to trip over me, are you? I do remember you’ve even had issues over rocks.” Allura tried not to laugh hard as he frowned.

“I believe the last fifteen minutes have proven I have a handle on this.”

He continued to glower down at her, and before she could say anything else he had leaned over next to her, starting the video again. Straightening, he pulled her closer to himself than she was prepared for, and asked her if she was ready. Allura nodded shyly, suddenly unsure about what she was even doing. They both took a step but not in unison. Allura nearly tripped over his foot, but giving him a second to adjust, they managed to synchronize their movements

He gracefully spun her around her bedroom. Allura was once again reminded of how romantic the candlelight was, and how charming her partner was being. It felt like a dream; the war was on hold, she could breath for once, and a prince was dancing with her in her bedroom… the only light from candles and the glow of her data pad as it played the music.

The music clip ended abruptly, and when the princess stopped moving, Lotor put a little force into his hand on her back, pushing her against him. She tried not to gasp at the intimate position he had instigated.

The top of Allura's head reached only to his shoulder. The movement had pressed her ear against his chest, and she could hear his heart beating rapidly. They weren't dancing long enough for it to be from the exercise. The princess tried to calm herself when she began to process how excited he would be from all of this. He'd declared his love for her so many times, and just the other day…

_"I liked you the moment I saw you….”_

Allura swallowed hard, and turned her head the other direction, leaning her other ear against him to try and clear her thoughts. She could not stop thinking about how pleasant and congenial the time they had been spending together had been. Lotor was very clearly making an effort, and that kind of effort out of him was usually directed at making conscious choices to arrive at a favorable end goal for his own gratification… or Zarkon’s. She was terrified of trusting him and it all being an elaborate ruse. She wasn’t sure which she wanted; him being genuine and she was warming up to him at an alarming rate, or that he was still up to bad things.

The princess was so distracted by her thoughts that she didn’t notice Lotor moving them closer to her bed. It took him sliding his hand from her waist, putting both of his hands on her shoulders, and gently nudging her down to sit on the edge for her to realize what was happening. She grew concerned, but calmed when he ended up kneeling in front of her.

Even sitting up straight, Lotor wasn’t as tall as her current position. He had to look up to meet her eyes. The position made it clear how much of her fear had always been him towering over her slight frame. He grinned up at her, and moved a hand across her skin to the back of her neck. The other slid down her back once more. Allura was only vaguely aware of Lotor whispering her name, being otherwise too distracted by his closeness.

His lips were on hers before she realized what was happening. He felt warm, a sharp contrast to the cool evening air. Allura unconsciously responded to the touch in kind, and continued to do so as he pushed her lips open with his tongue.

Lotor was testing her reaction with each movement, and when she mimicked his actions, he deepened the kiss. His head tilting and his stomach pressing against her knees as he moved closer to her was a like a splash of cold water to the princess on what she was actually doing. She jerked herself away from him.

Another unconscious movement, and her hand was stinging as she slapped him hard across the face. She regretted it the second she made contact. Lotor’s jaw visibly began to tighten in anger, and her stomach dropped in fear. The prince slowly turned his face back to look at her, eyes narrowed, and Allura knew she had made a terrible mistake.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: when the waltz was introduced to most countries, it was considered exceedingly scandalous because dancing went from a group affair, to suddenly only pairs, and *touching* them a great deal.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Misunderstandings only get solved through communication.

The prince and princess kept one another’s gaze. Lotor looked furious, and Allura was sure she had the appearance of a scared mouse. His silence terrified her.

“I-I apologize, Lotor, I should not have struck you, even if I am angry with you for your… for kissing me.” She felt bold stating it, but it was the truth.

“No, you’re not.”

She blinked at him and watched as he relaxed his jaw and smirked.

“You’re not angry at me, Allura. You’re angry at yourself for liking it.”

She felt her eyes go wide and had to look away. _He was right._

“That’s… not it.” She knew she was lying but to admit it to his face was just too much. Her eyes began to fill with tears.

He hummed a laugh in response, and then both of his palms were on her cheeks. Gently turning her head to face him, he grinned up at her. All his previous anger and annoyance was gone, even if his face still held the telltale mark of her hand striking him.

Allura’s emotions were all over the place. She closed her eyes, unable to maintain looking him in the eye, from both shame and all the unstable feelings due to his new attitude. She felt hot tears start to roll down her cheeks, but they were stopped by him wiping them away with his thumbs.

“You don’t need to cry,” he whispered, far closer to her than she had remembered him being. She could feel his breath on her lips before he gently pressed against her. When he didn’t push for more, she let this still new experience of the feeling of his lips and his lack of forcefulness overcome her senses. Allura felt positively sinful, but felt a rush of craving something she had never had before. Tilting her head slightly, she parted her lips and his with them. Hesitantly, she moved her tongue to touch at his, and that was her undoing.

Many passionate kisses later, Allura had a hand around his neck and another tangled in his hair. Lotor was holding her at the small of her back like when they danced, and she felt a hand on her thigh near her knee. She realized he had pushed her knees apart when she felt him pressing his chest flush against hers, leaning her backwards towards the bed. Slightly alarmed, she broke the kiss.

They stared at one another, both breathing heavy. The prince looked incredibly pleased with himself, and the princess was unsure what to do. When he began to push against her again, she put her hand on his chest with some force.

“Lotor… this is not… we can’t…,” she trailed off, unsure how to voice that he needed to stop.

“Whatever you want is fine,” he murmured as he moved his head to nuzzle her neck under her chin. Allura was struck by how intimate that gesture was, and how he wasn’t.. arguing. He wasn’t pressing the issue, and was content to just be here with her in any capacity she was letting him. That fact alone did more to endear him to her than anything he had tried to force on her the entire time she had known him.

Her hand moved to his hair, and she pet down the back of his head. The princess almost laughed when she realized his hair was softer and sleeker than hers. She absentmindedly continued to caress her hand down his hair repeatedly, and ended up running her fingers through it, rather jealous of how his it felt in her grasp.

The prince hummed in pleasure at the touching, and Allura was struck by how _human_ his reactions were. Add to that he was still kneeling on the floor in front of her bed, wrapped in her arms and being… pleasant. He was acting like a lover. And he was getting exactly what he always wanted. The thought made her begin to panic.

“This is all a ruse, isn’t it?”

Lotor slowly lifted his head to look at her.

“I’m not sure what you mean, Allura.”

“This. You being too amicable. You’re just trying to do whatever to get what you really want.”

He frowned and even pouted a bit.

“Please explain.”

Allura was slightly concerned about how much his niceness was for show and if any of it was genuine.

“You… you always just want to do everything you can to try and take my people and my planet. You’re up to something. You always are. I have every reason to distrust you.”

Lotor’s mood soured and he was visibly trying to keep his composure.

“Allura, I have always told you exactly what I wanted. Countless times have I declared my feelings for you, gone out of my way to find you when I could just let the battle or schemes take you. I care for you and want you by my side, as my Queen, as I have told you many times over.”

She could feel herself frowning and he spoke again, this time in a whisper and looking away from her, in an uncharacteristic lack of confidence.

“I just wanted to have you speak to me like you do to others in your life.”

Allura felt guilt swelling in her breast. If he was actually being honest with her…

“Lotor, why did you first come here? When you snuck into my bedroom uninvited… why were you here?”

He glanced up at her, and then back away.

“I just… wanted to see you. After everything, I never thought you would willingly spend time with me like this. I expected you to be asleep, I just… wanted to look at you. I was drunk, I wasn’t thinking clearly.”

She could feel him watching her in his peripheral vision, and she smiled. Tears prickled at her eyes again, but she ignored them. Catching his cheeks in her hands, she turned him to face her, this time.

“I concede that you are making a noble effort in manners and listening, Prince Lotor.” She could see his eyes light up at her words. He _had_ been listening to her in everything, not just in the book. The reading certainly helped, but he was taking this startlingly new behavior to every aspect of their interaction.

“I am glad you are pleased, my sweet.”

Him gently smiling up at her caught her off guard. She blinked, and went to remove her hands from his face. Before she could, he caught them, holding her in place. He closed his eyes and turned his head to kiss both of her palms, one after the other.

“I will never again do anything you don’t want.”

Allura swallowed, unsure how to take what he was saying. Did that mean… was he…

“And does that include attacking my people and fighting with Voltron?”

He sighed. “Yes, but I am not sure how I will accomplish that easily. You don’t know what he’s like.”

The mood was suddenly sour once more. Allura’s mind started racing to try and think of a solution for their situation, and she was uncomfortable that only one was clear. That wasn’t a worry for tonight.

“Lotor. It’s getting late. We should start if we intend to read tonight…,” she said while trying not to watch him lean into one of her hands, eyes closed.

“Hmm, I suppose. Or we could just sleep and forget the reading.”

She was so shocked by his suggestion that she couldn’t find the words to respond with. Even more shocking was when he grinned up at her mischievously, and moved his hands to pick her up by the waist. Allura nearly shrieked before schooling her reaction so as to not alert anyone in the palace, as she was hoisted into the air while he stood. One of his hands left her, the other pressing her to his chest for stability, while she heard him disturbing the blankets on her bed. After a few seconds, his other hand returned to her waist, and she was gently set down on her bed. He sat on his knee next to her, smiling down at her scandalized expression.

Pulling the covers across her, Lotor kept smirking. Allura frowned.

“I was under the impression you weren’t going to do things I did not want,” she spat out while crossing her arms.

Lotor laughed.

“I apologize, my sweet, you hadn’t told me not to tuck you… us… into your bed.” His grin turned devious.

“ _ **US?!?**_ ” This time she didn’t managed to control her volume.

His grin increased as he reached down and threw his boots into the darkness of her room, and then slid himself down next to her. He pulled the covers over himself, as Allura pushed herself back away from him. His grin turned into a frown.

“Allura, it’s just sleep. Aren’t you tired?”

“Yes, but….” She had no idea how to explain to him that this was not good!

“Sleep then, my love,” he said as he laid his head back on one of her pillows and closed his eyes.

The princess eyed him, and when he didn’t do anything besides breath calmly, she sank back into her bed. As soon as she settled, he placed his head on her shoulder and looked up at her, grinning once more.

“You cannot stay all night,” she said with authority.

He continued grinning.

“I know.”

She watched him close his eyes and tilt his head back down into a more comfortable position. He was still leaning on her shoulder, and snaked a hand back around her waist. Her mind was racing, but eventually she heard his breathing even out and his hand went slack as he fell asleep. She was astounded. Here he was, the prince and a commander to his people, in the heart of their enemy’s territory, _in the bed of their leader_ , and he just fell asleep like it was the most natural thing. Allura was convinced she would never understand him.

She was also convinced she would never fall asleep with him there. When she woke to sunlight streaming into her room, she bolted upright, finding herself alone…. unless he was hiding somewhere, which seemed unlikely to her, given his usual boisterous attitude.

Jumping out of bed and running to check the window, Allura began to remember when she had woken up as he was leaving. A soft kiss to her forehead, and a murmuring in her ear that she couldn’t quite remember. She had a lot to mull over before he returned that night.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reading and kissing...

Reading the botched proposal in the book to Lotor was the most awkward moment of Allura’s life. It was even worse than the time she walked into the locker room when her pilots were all showering. To the prince’s credit, he didn’t say anything the entire time, choosing to merely sit and listen intently.

He had been quiet when he showed up, far less boisterous than she was used to, and seemed rather subdued. When Allura counted the chapters left, she assumed what might be the reason; he was hyper aware of how much was left and that when it was over, she might not be receptive of his company.

“Lotor, we should stop for the night. It’s a good end point and it’s getting late.” She realized she was slightly lying, it wasn’t much past midnight. She idly wondered if he had slept much after leaving the previous evening.

“As you wish.”

The words startled Allura, she’d never heard anything like it from him. When he followed it with a yawn, she wondered how much of his guard was down from being tired.

“What… what did you do after you left this morning?” she asked, surprising herself with her curiosity.

Lotor blinked at her, looking incredibly confused as to why she was asking him this. After a moment the corners of his mouth moved up into a small smirk.

“I slept. Though,” he paused, looking pensive. “I did have some complications. I’m sure you don’t want to hear about that. It’s nothing.”

Allura was instantly curious about his deflection.

“No, please tell me.”

Lotor sighed loudly. “There’s a new robeast that Haggar is adamant be used. I’m having trouble deferring it’s use.” She could actually hear how deflated he was.

He wouldn’t look her in the eye, and she felt like her world was both falling apart and colliding with another. He really was keeping his word and maintaining a ceasefire for the time being, but it would clearly not last. After that, he would be forced to lead an attack against her again. She briefly toyed with the idea of forcing him to stay.

“What would King Zarkon do if you just… didn’t come home?”

The prince blinked at her before understanding dawned on him.

“You mean to keep me prisoner? I don’t think that would defer the robeast, Allura.”

“I don’t mean as a prisoner. I just…,” she said trailing off, not even sure where she had been going with it. He was right, anything would only be temporary. “Would he spend time looking for you? Would that… defer anything?”

He laughed.

“For a bit, perhaps. But I think you don’t realize how much he would rather just be rid of me.”

Her blood turned cold. Surely Zarkon wasn’t keen to be rid of his own son. That was unfathomable.

When she didn’t speak, Lotor continued, softly.

“Are you asking me to stay here, Allura?”

The princess bit her lip.

“I just… maybe if we considered one anothers’ positions, as Elizabeth and Darcy do, we could come to some better… well, a more reasonable, uh, understanding. You’ve shown yourself to be capable of…,” she trailed off, unsure how to say what she meant without being insulting.

Lotor made a humming noise and had a grin on his face.

“I will do anything you ask if you let me continue to kiss you.”

Allura was convinced her heart stopped. This was the crux, the deciding point.

“Can… can you give me a few days? I… don’t know what I’m doing anymore,” she whispered as she looked away from him. Being so painfully honest seemed important and she really wasn’t sure what else to say.

“Of course,” he said as he touched her cheek in a very gentle manner. She couldn’t help but look up at him. He had a soft smile on his face, and she swore if he had looked at her like that when they originally met, she might have melted from the first… even if he was a drule.

“Are you going to continue to read to me, tonight?”

Allura smiled at him, and picked up the book from her bedside.

 

–

 

“ _His being so sure of succeeding was wrong,” said she, “and certainly ought not to have appeared; but consider how much it must increase his disappointment!”_

“ _Indeed,” replied Elizabeth, “I am heartily sorry for him; but he has other feelings, which will probably soon drive away his regard for me. You do not blame me, however, for refusing him?”_

The princess felt the blood drain from her face. This was truly the worst possibly story to read to Lotor. She felt herself lightly shaking and was determined to not look up at him.

“Allura,”he said with a softness she had never heard in his voice. She could not help but glance at him.

Lotor was looking at her with concern. She unconsciously bit her lip, unsure what to say or do.

“Allura… I admit the parallels are not lost to me, but I do not view them the same as with us.”

_Us..._

He grinned. “I already told you, I liked you from the moment I first saw you. I was never shy about my feelings.”

When he didn’t continue the obvious train of thought, she frowned, still biting her lip. There was a moment of silence that felt like it lasted for an eon, before he broke it by speaking.

“Will you let me kiss you again?”

She nearly laughed. He was making it clear that the differences in the story lay with her and how she reciprocated him. The desire to smack the insinuation out of him was very strong. Lotor didn’t give her time to reply before he moved near her, his hand pushing the book down and out of her hands.

Allura let out a breath she didn’t realize she was holding when he was so close to her that she could feel his warmth in the very air. The prince moved even farther forward, and she could feel his breath against her lips when he spoke again.

“I won’t do anything you don’t want, remember?”

An overwhelming feeling shot up her spine and she answered him by closing the space between them, kissing him and wrapping her arms around his neck. He leaned into her, pushing her back into the pillows.

Gasping for breath after kissing her senseless, he propped himself up on his elbows and smiled down at her. His hair was spilling over his shoulders, framing him completely. Allura’s emotions were all over the place, and that soft look in his eye and him filling her vision was overwhelming.

Lotor moved one of his hands, and the book reappeared.

“We’re so close to finishing, aren’t we?”

“Twenty chapters left,” she replied as she took the book from his grasp. The second she had it, he leaned down and nuzzled into her neck.

“Lotor? What are you doing?”

“I’ll listen from here.” His voice was muffled against her skin, and she inhaled sharply.

“If… if you wish….”

 

–

 

The book was nearly done. Yawning, she paused, and looked down. Lotor’s head was laying right above her breast, and he was breathing evenly, calmly. Reaching a hand down to touch him, she let her fingers glide along the smooth skin of his cheek, and watched to see if he woke. He didn’t stir.

With her hand on him, the contrast on their coloring was stark. His blueish purple tone was softer in the candle light, and she seemed far paler in contrast. His elongated ear was also strange, now that she thought about it. No other race she had seen had ears like that, only the Drules. She moved her hand to touch it. Running a finger down the side, she glanced back to look at his face. She almost jumped out of her skin when she saw his eyes were open and he was watching her.

“Don’t let me stop you,” he murmured and he let his eyes droop to half closed. He let out a soft breath from his mouth, and she became aware of how intimate this had become. He was absolutely laying on her. One of his legs had even pushed between hers...

Allura swallowed. Under the cover of night, alone with him... she felt like all her sense had flown out the window. She had no idea what she was doing anymore. Letting let him in at all, inviting him in more than once now,  _continuing to kissing him_ , and now he was curled up on her, all but asking her to continue softly touching him. He was like some stray cat she had brought inside that was now begging to be paid attention to and lay in her lap. All sense of propriety or danger was lost to her as she brushed her finger along his ear again.

Lotor let out a sigh of contentment. She expected him to be watching her, but his eyes were now closed. She touched her palm to his cheek again, and he cracked one eye to look up. She smiled a little, and moved her hand down to his jawline.

The prince moved his head back so she could touch him easier, and she was struck by the thought that the fierce drule prince was purposefully making himself vulnerable. Feelings in her she did not understand bubbled up as her hand slid down from his neck and across his shoulder. The fabric was rough and thick, but she could feel his defined muscles underneath.

She tried to keep her breathing even as she considered the fact she had never touched a man like this in her entire life. And here she was, touching the son of her enemy while he lay in her arms. So many fantasy stories and plays were based on that theme. It was a little unnerving. Allura tried to ignore the fact  _he_  was as much her enemy as his father was.

Her hand was practically cupping his shoulder, and she swallowed hard. Moving it down, she could feel the muscles of his upper arm. He flexed his arm, and she could feel his bicep hardenunder her fingers. She was exceedingly glad the only light was the candle, because she could feel her entire body flame up and she wasn’t ready to admit to her intense blushing.

Allura felt him staring at her, and she glanced at him again. His eyelids were drooped, but his smirk was full of energy. She looked back to his arm, and a surge of adrenaline fueled her on. She squeezed his arm for a few seconds before moving her hand back upwards.

The air was thick with tension as her hand made its way back to his shoulder. She didn’t stop, instead she continued back to where she started up to his face to cup his cheek again.

“Allura…,” he whispered her name up at her, and she was unsure what to do. The air felt electric.

She realized she was staring at his lips when he brought his tongue out and licked them. He left his mouth slightly open, and she swallowed at the obvious suggestive action.

Looking back up to his eyes, his gaze was laced with more obvious desire for her than he had previously shown. How much had he been holding back? She suddenly felt very terrified and overwhelmed. It must have been obvious on her face, because he put one of his hands overtop of hers.

“Allura… may I kiss you, again?” his voice was tender and kind, like a lover in a dream.

She didn’t know what to do. The way he asked made the princess feel like she would be making a choice that could never be undone. A step in a direction she wasn’t sure she wanted anything to do with.

When she didn’t answer, she heard Lotor make a defeatedsigh. His brows were pinched, but had an uptick of upset. She wasn’t aware of what expression she gave him, but he gave her a small smile as he relaxed his eyebrows, and rubbed his thumb across her hand.

“You did ask for time. I’ll give you that,” he said as he snuggled into her neck again. She was half sure he had moved to hide his eyes from her. The disappointment was still so evident.

 

–

 

The morning brought with it a sense of isolation. Allura awoke alone, again. Lotor must have left in the middle of the night like he did before. She tried to remember if he had said anything, but nothing came to mind. The fact he didn’t spirit her away while asleep and groggy was endearing him to her even more. He could have just done it. She brought her legs up to hug her knees.

_What am I going to do?_


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Allura has to make her choice.

Three days went by and Lotor didn’t show up.

Allura hadn’t come to any conclusions about her internal conflict; to continue on with him and make peace by marriage, or try and persuade him to... she didn’t even know what any other options could be with his obvious feelings towards her. There was almost no going back at this point.

She was beginning to be worried he had changed his mind on letting her think. The princess started to panic. What if they were found out, _by Zarkon_? Lotor made it clear his father wasn’t keen on him, so would his visiting her without an attack fleet be considered treasonous to the Drules? Was he being punished? Was he being harmed? Should she take Voltron to rescue him?

That last question on her mind made her stop everything she was doing. Doom was his home, he wouldn’t need rescuing from where he lived. Or did he? And why should she rescue him?! He had attacked her non stop for nearly a year. The fact she was worrying for him and suddenly caring about his well-being was making her even more upset. She had to excuse herself from everyone for the day and feign a headache just to be alone. They would notice her mood, and she wasn’t about to handle questions she was ill prepared to answer. _Worried about Lotor!!_

It irritated her incessantly that she had no way to contact him. Sure, she could send a message to Doom, broadcasting her innocent illicit night time activities with him, but that would be counterproductive.

Allura was curled up in her bed on the third night, stewing still about everything in a vain attempt at trying to ignore the time and maybe sleep. She couldn’t stop thinking about the phrase, ‘absence makes the heart grow fonder.’ She was becoming more angry at herself for her feelings towards him, and at times angry at him for making her care about his well being.

A gentle tap on her window made her bolt upright. Did she imagine that?

Running to the window, she saw that no, she had heard correctly; Prince Lotor was gripping the windowsill, perched over the open air. The princess felt all her anxiety about his safety melt away as she threw open the window.

Whatever expression she had on her face made him blossom into a huge grin. His boots were barely on the floor before she threw herself into his arms, kissing him. She heard him chuckle as he placed his hands on her waist and lifted her feet off the ground. Allura had no idea what was going on until she was on her back on her bed with him on top of her.

“Did you miss me?” he whispered into her lips before continuing to kiss her.

After a moment, she pushed him back by his shoulders.

“I was so worried we had been found out. Where have you been?”

He grinned mischievously at her.

“I was a bit busy starting a coup. As it turns out, my father isn’t pleased that I decided to use that robeast against him in his own castle.”

Allura gasped, which made his look turn more devious.

“You did... _what_?”

Lotor laughed lightheartedly.

“I had expected word to make it out somehow, but I suppose things were too chaotic. Doom right now is in the middle of a small stalemate as the empire is torn in two. I’ve discovered the Drule Emperor supports my claim to the Crown of Doom since he is angry at my father, and that turned into more support from within. You will never have to worry about my father again, Allura…,” he trailed off as he began to kiss her neck under her chin.

Her head was swimming. She had thought things were going fast before, but now he was claiming he was poised to take his throne and then… make peace with her like he always promised? That nagging voice reminding her that the best and most final way to end the war wouldn’t stop piping up... _Marry him. Marry a king. Marry the King of Doom._

Allura tensed when he moved the top of her dressing gown slightly over to kiss her skin below her neck. He leaned back and looked down at her.

“I shouldn’t have left Doom, not right now, but I just needed something to raise my spirits. To give me… hope.”

She blinked at him.

“Shouldn’t being about to take the throne be enough?”

The look of hurt on his face made her instantly regret her words. After him being so congenial this week, and yet she said that to him.

“I… I mean I thought that was your goal? The throne?” she stammered out, realizing that she was now worried about how he _felt._

“That’s only part of it...,” he murmured as he looked away from her.

The mood suddenly felt stifling. He had gone out of his way to visit her, and update her on everything important that happened on Doom, and she had ruined it. They’d never made plans to finish the story, never set a time, and yet it was assumed when it would take place. Something more important came up for him, and here she was, being selfish. The absurdity of the changed dynamics was not lost on her.

Allura reached up and put her fingers on his cheek, watching as he closed his eyes at the contact. His hand wrapped around hers, squeezing lightly as he finally turned back to look at her. He still had a pained expression. She wanted that look to disappear.

“I apologize. I didn’t mean to... trivialize how you feel, Lotor.”

The prince leaned down and lightly brushed his lips against hers.

“I accept your apology, my sweet,” he said before he kissed her in such a passionate way her toes curled and she ended up squirming underneath him.

He broke the kiss to laugh and snuggled into her neck.

“This is what I needed…,” he trailed off, murmuring.

Tangling her fingers in his hair, she held him close. It was such a bizarre situation; he was in the middle of a bloody coup, taking his father’s throne, and here he was, once again laying on her in her bed, enjoying her company and warmth. Allura glanced at the nightstand, spying the book with the small ribbon sticking out, marking that they were so close to the end. Such a small thing that instigated such big changes. It had made her have some introspection on her own situation and dislike of the prince who had gone about everything in the worst possible way. And then they had kissed so much!

A while later, Lotor suggested they continue reading the story. She laughed at the fact he was so determined to have her read to him.

“I would have thought you would have preferred to not read, tonight?”

“I like hearing your voice, I like knowing it’s just for me...,” he said low, against her neck. “It’s also very… relaxing. My mother used to read to me, and tell me stories when I was very young....”

She felt her heart fluttering. Lotor was so interested in her doing something for him that he clearly held so close to his heart and found very sacred.

 

–

 

“… _allowed, encouraged, almost taught me to be selfish and overbearing; to care for none beyond my own family circle; to think meanly of all the rest of the world; to wish at least to think meanly of their sense and worth compared with my own. Such I was, from eight to eight and twenty; and such I might still have been but for you, dearest, loveliest Elizabeth! What do I not owe you! You taught me a lesson, hard indeed at first, but most advantageous. By you, I was properly humbled. I came to you without a doubt of my reception. You showed me how insufficient were all my pretensions to please a woman worthy of being pleased.”_

Allura could barely get the final words out, so much was her embarrassment at reading this to Lotor. Even with his cheek pressed against her shoulder, the air felt heavy.

“Hmmm, took him long enough,” Lotor said with a hint of what sounded like sarcasm. “I managed to figure that out all on my own.”

“On your own? I cannot believe you’re saying that when you did the exact same thing he is describing!”

Lotor pushed himself up to look at her, and grinned wide.

“I suppose you ignoring my declarations of love and running away screaming from me did humble me a little bit...” he said and actually started to look a bit sheepish. “I spent a great deal of time pacing in my bedchamber trying to decipher how I could even just get you to talk to me like this...”

She giggled, and moved her hands from his sides up to pull at his ears.

“I believe it only took us a few days to come to some sort of… friendship, which your loose tongue from being full of wine made a bit easier. How strange it is that you were always so honest on your feelings, yet hid the things about you that would have made me consider taking you serious.”

He laughed in the most free spirited way she had ever seen from him, before his expression turned serious.

“I hope I am more than a friend to you.”

Allura bit her lip and kept his gaze.

“I don’t generally have my tongue in my friends’ mouths…,” she said as she felt her face inflame, and he broke into a devious grin.

“Hmmm… let me be sure,” he started before moving close to her and pushing her mouth open with his.

 

–

 

Allura woke with a start. She didn’t know why, and snuggled back into Lotor’s bare shoulder before he started to groan in annoyance at a noise.

Someone was banging on her door. When she didn’t answer, the beeping of the code override echoed across her bedroom and she panicked. There was no time to hide Lotor, and they were both naked.

Almost immediately, the door slid open, and Keith, Coran, and several guards ran inside. Allura didn’t even look at them for more than half a second before turning, pushing her face into Lotor’s chest and gripping at his back. The blanket wasn’t even covering all of her, there was nothing to hide what she had been doing, and she was mortified.

There was silence in the room for a few moments before Lotor spoke with an authority she hadn’t heard from him in what felt like eons.

“Well?”

All at once there was shouts and yelling. Allura did nothing more than cling tighter to him, even when she heard Lotor trying to grab for his sword from his clothes on the floor.

Keith’s voice finally boomed over everyone else’s, and there was otherwise silence.

“ALLURA! Are you okay? We found his ship in the woods and since Doom seems to be looking for Lot-” Coran interrupted him.

“What _exactly_ is going on here, Princess?”

Lotor laughed as she felt him gently run his hand up her exposed back, his quest to retrieve his sword forgotten.

“She’s negotiating a peace treaty, _obviously._ ”

Allura wanted to sink into the core of the planet.

“Let her speak for herself, demon," she heard Keith spit out.

Feeling the tears in her eyes, she mustered the courage to face the people she loved. Pulling the blanket up to cover her, Allura turned and sat up. As much as the looks on Coran and Keith’s faces hurt her, knowing that Lotor was there, close enough to have him pressed against her back and his hand now splayed across her stomach under the blanket, gave her the courage she needed.

“Prince Lotor and I have come to an… understanding,” she said and tried not to react to the way their faces changed. “Since he is poised to take the Doom throne, we have been discussing things for… some time now. I realized that it was folly to dismiss his offer and let him continue on as normal. Nobody would be satisfied with that route.”

“Satisfied? Allura, what are you thinking, child?” Coran’s words cut through her like ice.

“She’s looking out for her people, I believe,” Lotor replied tensely, clearly trying to control his anger.

Allura sighed and looked Coran in the eye.

“Coran, I’m marrying Lotor and we’re ending this war. It actually ended… earlier this week. That’s why we haven’t had any attacks. I’m not discussing this any more, I’ve made my choice.” She paused, remembering what Keith said earlier “Doom is looking for him? Did something happen?”

Coran continued frowning but answered.

“Yes, it would seem that King Zarkon attacked what we believe to be Prince Lotor’s forces, and was soundly defeated. Commander Cossack has made it clear he made the decisive blow, that Zarkon is dead _by his hand_. Lotor is now King of Doom by birthright.”

Allura turned to look at Lotor. His face showed clear shock as he stared at nothing. She had expected him to be… boisterously happy, but the lack of comment from him was slightly startling.

He jolted when she touched his cheek. Looking at her, she could see his eyes watering. It occurred to her that maybe through everything, he had somehow hoped things with his father would improve. Now with Zarkon’s death, there was a finality to the situation, and it would never be resolved. That he could never even talk to his father, that the throne was now his with no action on his part. Both of their lives really were a mess. She wrapped her arms around him, and he buried his face into her neck.

They had been given a small pocket of time to get to know one another, without any outside pressures or diplomatic urgencies, and Allura was eternally grateful they had even had at least that much time. She felt sick thinking about what would have happened if they hadn’t had the past week together.

Turning to look over her shoulder, she put on the best regal face she could muster while her blanket was half falling off her nude form, her hair spilling around her, with Lotor in her arms on the verge of crying.

“I expect all of you to show King Lotor the respect and civility he is owed, given that he is now an ally of Arus.”

She watched with a wicked pleasure as Keith and Coran frowned but voiced their agreements before exiting the room.

 

–

 

Queen Allura picked up the book she had read to Lotor many months ago, running her fingers over the gold lettering of the title. She hugged it against her chest, above the swell of her belly.

“Thank you for giving me the courage to consider a different point of view,” she whispered to it, glancing at Lotor as he slept in the royal marriage bed.  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! <3


End file.
